RFP (Events)
Request for Proposal document sent to venues and vendors soliciting competitive bids for event services.
Definition
An event RFP (Request for Proposal) is a formal document sent to hotels, venues, and vendors requesting competitive bids for event services. RFPs detail event requirements—dates, attendance, room needs, F&B, AV, and other specifications—enabling apples-to-apples comparison of responses.
Well-written RFPs save time by clearly communicating needs and enabling efficient vendor evaluation.
Why It Matters
RFPs create competition that improves terms and pricing. They also ensure venues understand requirements accurately, reducing surprises and change orders during execution.
Organizations that use thorough RFPs negotiate better contracts and experience fewer planning issues.
Examples in Practice
A meeting planner sends RFPs to eight hotels for a 500-person conference, comparing responses across pricing, concessions, and flexibility.
An RFP specifies detailed AV requirements, preventing vendor assumptions that might lead to inadequate proposals.
A corporation uses RFP templates that capture lessons learned from previous events, improving requirement clarity.